जगत्यस्मिन्निरालंबे मधुसूदनमच्युतम् । हस्तावलंबनं स्तोत्रं विष्णुं वंदे परात्परम्
In this world without support, to Madhusūdana, to Acyuta, I offer the hymn as my support; I praise Viṣṇu, the supreme beyond all.
सर्वेश्वरेश्वरविभो परमात्मन्नधोक्षज । हृषीकेश हृषीकेश हृषीकेश नमोस्तु ते
O Lord of all lords, O mighty one, O supreme soul, O Adhokṣaja, Hṛṣīkeśa, Hṛṣīkeśa, Hṛṣīkeśa, I bow to you.
नृसिंहानंत गोविंद भूतभावन केशव । दुरुक्तं दुष्कृतं ध्यातं शम पापं नमोस्तु ते
O Nṛsiṃha, Ananta, Govinda, creator of beings, Keśava, whatever evil words, wicked deeds, or sinful thoughts have been meditated upon, pacify them; I bow to you.
यन्मया चिंतितं दुष्टं स्वचित्तवशवर्तिना । अकार्य्यमघमत्युग्रं तच्छमं नय केशव
Whatever wickedness I have contemplated, following the impulses of my own mind, whatever improper, terrible sin, O Keśava, lead it to peace.
ब्रह्मण्यदेव गोविंद परमार्थपरायण । जगन्नाथ जगद्धातः पापं शमय मेऽच्युत
O divine protector of Brahmins, Govinda, devoted to the highest truth, Lord of the world, sustainer of the world, O Acyuta, pacify my sin.
यच्चापराह्णे सायाह्ने मध्याह्ने च तथा निशि । कायेन मनसा वाचा कृतं पापमजानता
Whatever sin was committed by body, mind, or speech, unknowingly, in the afternoon, evening, midday, or at night,
जानता च हृषीकेश पुंडरीकाक्ष माधव । नामत्रयोच्चारणतः सर्वे यांतु मम क्षयम्
And knowingly as well, O Hṛṣīkeśa, Puṇḍarīkākṣa, Mādhava, through utterance of your three names, let all my sins be destroyed.
शारीरं मे हृषीकेश पुंडरीकाक्ष मानसम् । पापं प्रशममायातु वाक्कृतं मम माधव
May the sin committed by my body, O Hṛṣīkeśa, Puṇḍarīkākṣa, and by my mind, and the sin committed by my speech, O Mādhava, be pacified.
यद्भुंजानः पिबंस्तिष्ठन्स्वपञ्जाग्रद्यदास्थितः । अकार्षं पापमर्थार्थं कायेन मनसा गिरा
Whatever sin I have committed for the sake of gain, whether eating, drinking, standing, sleeping, waking, or in any state, by body, mind, or speech—
महदल्पमपि प्रायो दुर्योनि नरकावहम् । तत्पापं प्रशमं यातु वासुदेवस्य कीर्तनात्
Even the greatest or smallest sin, which leads to a bad birth or to hell—may that sin be pacified by the praise of Vāsudeva.
परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमं च यत् । तस्मिन्प्रकीर्तिते विष्णौ यत्पापं तत्प्रणश्यतु
That Supreme Brahman, the highest abode, the purest and most exalted—when Viṣṇu is praised, may whatever sin there is be destroyed.
यत्प्राप्य न निवर्त्तंते गंधस्पर्शादिवर्जिताः । सूरयस्तत्पदं विष्णोस्तत्सर्वं शमयत्वयम्
That state of Viṣṇu, which, once attained, the sages do not return from, being free from scent, touch, and the like—may that state dispel all this.
पापप्रशमनं स्तोत्रं यः पठेच्छृणुयान्नरः । शारीरैर्मानसैर्वाग्जैः कृतैः पापैः स मुच्यते
Whoever recites or hears this hymn that removes sin is freed from sins committed by body, mind, or speech.
मुक्तः पापग्रहादिभ्यो याति विष्णोः परं पदम् । तस्मात्पापे कृतं जप्यं स्तोत्रं सर्वाघमर्दनम्
Freed from the grip of sin and other evils, he attains the supreme abode of Viṣṇu; therefore, this hymn, recited for sin, destroys all offenses.
प्रायश्चित्तमघौघानां पठितव्यं नरोत्तमैः । प्रायश्चित्तैः स्तोत्रवरैर्व्रतैर्नश्यति पातकम्
This should be recited by the best of men as atonement for heaps of sin; by hymns, vows, and acts of expiation, sin is destroyed.
ततः कार्याणि संसिद्ध्यै तानि वै भुक्तिमुक्तये । पूर्वजन्मार्जितं पापमैहिकं च नरेश्वर
Therefore, these acts should be performed for success, for enjoyment and liberation, O king, to remove sins accumulated in previous births and in this life.
स्तवस्य श्रवणादस्य सद्य एव विलीयते । पापद्रुमकुठारोऽयं पापेंधनदवानलः
By hearing this hymn, it is immediately dissolved; it is the axe for the tree of sin, the forest fire for the fuel of sin.
पापराशितमः स्तोम भानुरेष स्तवो नृप । मया प्रकाशितस्तुभ्यं तथा लोकानुकंपया
This hymn is the sun that dispels the darkness-mass of sin, O king; I have revealed it to you out of compassion for the worlds.
स्तवो योऽयं मया प्राप्तो रहस्यं पितुरादरात् । इतिहासमिमं पुण्यं यः शृणोति नराधिप
This hymn, which I have received as a secret from my father with affection—whoever hears this sacred history, O lord of men,
तस्यापि पुण्यमाहात्म्यं वक्तुं शक्तः स्वयं हरिः । स्वस्ति तेस्तु महाराज गंगायामथ सत्वरम्
Even for him, Hari himself is able to declare the greatness of its merit. Farewell to you, great king; now, quickly—
स्नातुं यामि समायातो मासोऽयं माधवो महान्
I go to bathe in the Ganges, for this great Mādhava month has arrived.
सूत उवाच- यातुं तमुद्यतं नत्वा मुनिं राजा ततो मुदा । विधिं पप्रच्छ संक्षिप्तं स्नानदानक्रियोचितम्
Sūta said: Bowing to the sage who was about to depart, the king joyfully asked him briefly about the proper rules for bathing, giving, and ritual acts.
अंबरीष उवाच- मुने वैशाखमासेऽस्मिन्को विधिः किं तपोऽधिकम् । किं च दानं कथं स्नानं कथं केशवपूजनम्
Ambarīṣa said: O sage, in this month of Vaiśākha, what is the proper rule, what is the highest penance? What is the proper gift, how should one bathe, and how should Keśava be worshipped?
कृपया वद विप्रर्षे सर्वज्ञस्त्वं हरिप्रियः । विशेषतोऽपि पूजाया विधिं तीर्थपदे वद
Out of compassion, tell me, O best of Brāhmaṇas, you who know all and are dear to Hari; especially, tell me the rule for worship at the holy place.
नारद उवाच-। मेषसंक्रमणे भानोर्माधवे मासि सत्तम । महानद्यां नदीतीरे नदे सरसि निर्झरे
Nārada said: At the entry of the sun into Aries, in the month of Mādhava, O excellent one, on the bank of a great river, by a river, in a lake, or at a spring—
देवखातेऽथवा स्नायाद्यथाप्राप्ते जलाशये । दीर्घिका कूप वापीषु नियतात्मा हरिं स्मरन्
Or one should bathe in a divine reservoir, or in any available body of water—a pond, well, or tank—with a controlled mind, remembering Hari.
मधुमासस्य शुक्लायामेकादश्यामुपोषितः । पंचदश्यां च वा वीर मेषसंक्रमणेऽपि वा
Having fasted on the eleventh day of the bright half of the month of Madhu, or on the fifteenth, O hero, or even at the time of the sun's entry into Aries,
वैशाखस्नाननियमं ब्राह्मणानामनुज्ञया । मधुसूदनमभ्यर्च्य कुर्यात्सुस्नानपूर्वकम्
With the permission of the Brahmins, one should observe the vow of bathing in Vaiśākha, worship Madhusūdana, and perform the bath with proper purification.
वैशाखं सकलं मासं मेषसंक्रमणे रवेः । प्रातः सनियमः स्नास्ये प्रीयतां मधुसूदनः
Throughout the entire month of Vaiśākha, from the sun's entry into Aries, I will bathe in the morning with self-restraint; may Madhusūdana be pleased.
मधुहंतुः प्रसादेन ब्राह्मणानामनुग्रहात् । निर्विघ्नमस्तु मे पुण्यंवैशाखस्नानमन्वहम्
By the grace of the destroyer of Madhu and the favor of the Brahmins, may my meritorious act of daily bathing in Vaiśākha proceed without obstacles.